Quality of Life Comparison

If you lived in Liberia instead of United States, you would:

be 72.7% less likely to be obese

In United States, 36.2% of adults are obese. In Liberia, that number is 9.9% of people.

live 16.7 years less

In United States, the average life expectancy is 80 years (78 years for men, 82 years for women). In Liberia, that number is 63 years (61 years for men, 66 years for women).

Economy

be 36.4% less likely to be unemployed

In United States, 4.4% of adults are unemployed. In Liberia, that number is 2.8%.

make 97.6% less money

United States has a GDP per capita of $59,500, while in Liberia, the GDP per capita is $1,400.

be 3.6 times more likely to live below the poverty line

In United States, 15.1% live below the poverty line. In Liberia, however, that number is 54.1%.

Life

have 3.1 times more children

In United States, there are approximately 12.5 babies per 1,000 people. In Liberia, there are 38.3 babies per 1,000 people.

be 51.8 times more likely to die during childbirth

In United States, approximately 14.0 women per 1,000 births die during labor. In Liberia, 725.0 women do.

be 9.0 times more likely to die during infancy

In United States, approximately 5.8 children die before they reach the age of one. In Liberia, on the other hand, 52.2 children do.

Basic Needs

be 90.0% less likely to have access to electricity

In United States, 100% of the population has electricity access. In Liberia, 10% of the population do.

be 90.4% less likely to have internet access

In United States, approximately 76.2% of the population has internet access. In Liberia, about 7.3% do.

be 23.8% less likely to have access to improved drinking water

In United States, approximately 99% of people have improved drinking water access (99% in urban areas, and 98% in rural areas). In Liberia, that number is 76% of people on average (89% in urban areas, and 63% in rural areas).

Expenditures

spend 44.0% less on education

United States spends 5.0% of its total GDP on education. Liberia spends 2.8% of total GDP on education.

spend 41.5% less on healthcare

United States spends 17.1% of its total GDP on healthcare. In Liberia, that number is 10.0% of GDP.

Geography

see 97.1% less coastline

United States has a total of 19,924 km of coastline. In Liberia, that number is 579 km.

Liberia: At a glance

Liberia is a sovereign country in Africa, with a total land area of approximately 96,320 sq km. Settlement of freed slaves from the US in what is today Liberia began in 1822; by 1847, the Americo-Liberians were able to establish a republic. William TUBMAN, president from 1944-71, did much to promote foreign investment and to bridge the economic, social, and political gaps between the descendants of the original settlers and the inhabitants of the interior. In 1980, a military coup led by Samuel DOE ushered in a decade of authoritarian rule. In December 1989, Charles TAYLOR launched a rebellion against DOE's regime that led to a prolonged civil war in which DOE was killed. A period of relative peace in 1997 allowed for elections that brought TAYLOR to power, but major fighting resumed in 2000. An August 2003 peace agreement ended the war and prompted the resignation of former president Charles TAYLOR, who faces war crimes charges in The Hague related to his involvement in Sierra Leone's civil war. After two years of rule by a transitional government, democratic elections in late 2005 brought President Ellen JOHNSON SIRLEAF to power. She subsequently won reelection in 2011 in a second round vote that was boycotted by the opposition and remains challenged to build Liberia's economy and reconcile a nation still recovering from 14 years of fighting. The United Nations Security Council in September 2012 passed Resolution 2066 which calls for a reduction of UN troops in Liberia by half by 2015, bringing the troop total down to fewer than 4000, and challenging Liberia's security sector to fill the gaps.

How big is Liberia compared to United States?
See an in-depth size comparison.